Rendezvous with a Stranger
by retrolily
Summary: Lana has seen the future and knows that she won't live past 22. She has spent most of her life running-anywhere but her present. She has to decide. Die around strangers in a year she doesnt belong in, or at home near the ones she loves. Her life is changed the night she walks into a BC bar sometime in '02 and meets someone who makes her question how ready she is to leave the world.


**Synopsis:  
**

 _Lana Chase has seen the future and knows that she won't live past twenty-two._

 _She has spent most of her teen years running between time and place - anywhere but her present. But with her death finally approaching, Lana has to decide whether she wants to die around strangers in a year she doesnt belong in or at home, around the ones she loves._

 _Lana's fate is forever altered the night she heads into a BC bar sometime in 2002 and meets someone who makes her question just how ready she is to leave the world behind._

 **Prologue: The Meeting**

 _Clearwater, British Columbia_

The young girl walked into the bar without even a handbag on her. She tried to look like she belonged, but it was no use. Despite her grunge style, she was a woman and she had "outsider" written all over. All the men turned for a glance. All except one.

The man at the far end of the bar. He had shaggy dishevelled hair and a beard that stretched all around to his sideburns. When the girl walked into the bar, he was the first person she noticed. The man turned his head slightly to acknowledge the incoming scent, but couldn't be bothered to turn fully away from his drink.

The girl continued walking past the first few tables. She had cropped dyed blond hair, her roots almost coming in full. She wore an unzipped over-sized grey windbreaker with the sleeves rolled up over a black sweater. She wore tight black jeans. Way too light for this late November weather. She helplessly walked around with her arms folded, unsure of where she should sit. The place wasn't very crowded, but still had plenty of bodies. She was hoping for an empty table, but had no luck. She would have to settle for one of the stools instead.

The bearded man turned to look at the girl. He wasn't going to say anything to the girl, until he noticed she looked a lot younger than he thought he previously thought. He reminded her of someone.

As the girl came closer, he picked up a familiar scent on her. He couldn't make it out. Most of the smell was OK, but the rest made his blood boil. He forced himself to shake off the feeling. He sighed when he looked at her.

"I know that look." The beaded man muttered loud enough for her to hear. He hadn't turned around, but she assumed he was talking to her.

"What look?" The girl asked. Her voice was soft and husky. Odd combo for someone so young, the man thought.

The blond cautiously hopped onto the stool beside him. He was speaking to her. She might as well sit beside him.

"I've been on the road before and trust me it. I've seen how it ends. Whatever you're running from ... It'll catch up to you, kid. It always does." He still hadn't turned to face her.

"Who says I'm still running? Maybe I stopped." The girl shrugged. The truth was she still hadn't made the final decision to go back to her present yet. Until then she was just hanging out.

The man nodded. "Yeah sure...So did I."

As soon as the man finished speaking, the TV in the corner ceiling behind the counter came into sound. They both glanced upwards to the left.

The headline read _"Mutant Freedom Now? Mutant Attack Against President Raises Alarms"._

 _"So Mr. Dennison, you agree that all mutants are dangerous?" A brunette hair woman newscaster was speaking._

 _"Agree? What do you mean, Of course I agree. - A bald man spoke on the left box of the news screen from Albany, New York._

 _The woman newscaster cut the man off before he got all riled up. "So you agreed with the act that Senator Kelly proposed six months ago?" She prodded._

 _"Yes I did agree and I wish he hadn't gotten rid of the act. Did you see what happened in the White House a few days ago? Our president was nearly killed. I believe they should be forced to identify themselves now more than ever. We don't know what they are capable of and we need to protect ourselves. Plain and simple."_

The conversation continued as a blur in the background as a low chuckle escaped from the bearded man's lips.

"You believe that?" the girl asked with curiosity. She had to know if the guy was one of those radical mutant haters before she started talking to him.

"I think people should mind their own damn business." The bearded man stated between gulps of his beer. "Anyway the damn thing's been called off. People should get over it."

"Yeah." She agreed. "And want would registering even accomplish? People being controlled or experimented on. Life is hard enough for them as it is. No one deserves that. To be tortured." She trailed off.

Tortured? The man thought turning to stare at her finally. She hadn't even noticed and was sitting staring at her hands on the counter-top. What the hell did this girl know about mutant torture? He had flashes of being locked onto a cold metal table and hoped she hadn't gone through similar the same or knew someone who had.

"Seems you have pretty strong opinion about it." He began. "You a mutant?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"If that's what they are calling being different. Than I think I am...one." The girl couldn't even say the word. It sounded foreign coming from her. She had never met another mutant before or associated herself with the word until recently.

"You think?" He asked raising an eyebrow. "You either are or you aren't, kid. There's no math involved."

The girl thought about it for a moment. "Yeah I am actually." The girl announced with confidence, finally meeting his gaze. "You got a problem with that?"

He fought the urge to smile. "No, not me." He shook head, then turned back to his drink. He had no issue with it, but the man was certain that a lot of other people might have one. Some even in this bar.

"So what can you do?" The girl asked.

"I never said I could do anything now, did I?" The man retorted.

"No," She began. "But I just assumed... You kinda look a little mutant." She answered, slightly regretting even mentioning it.

"And what does a mutant look exactly?" His eyes met hers again. In truth, he was only just messing with her to see what she would say, but the girl clearly didn't know that.

"I don't know," She said. "But your look doesn't exactly scream tolerance, so you must be one right?"

The man gazed questioningly at the girl before turning back around. "Alright I am." He gave in.

The girl was pleased in getting the truth out of she was right. He was like her. She knew it. "You gonna ask what I can do?" She said to him.

"No, not really." His eyes drifted back to the hanging tv. He didnt really want to continue the conversation. He wanted to drink in peace before heading on his bike back to Xavier's.

The girl nodded and the man didn't look like he was about to say anything else

"I can time travel." She whispered, boastfully.

"Good for you," was all he said.

"What you don't believe me?" She asked, sitting back.

"Nope, I just never knew that could be a mutation." The bearded man said.

Before the girl could answer, they were interrupted.

"You buying anything lady", the bartender asked. "You got ID?"

The girl hesitantly took out a laminated card from her wallet and handed it to him. She hoped he wouldn't look at it too closely.

"Hmmph. This thing says your 10 years old." He said, glancing up. "Nice try kid." The bartender said sliding the ID back to her in which the bearded man pick it up to examine it. "How old are you really?" The bartender continued.

The man beside her chuckled then put the ID back down beside the girl as he took another swig of beer.

She looked at him quickly before she answered the bartender. "Um sixteen.. I guess," she replied. The girl was really twenty-one, but she decided to lie to avoid having to explain how she was a time traveller and that she just technically wouldn't be twenty-one for eleven more years.

There really was no way to explain. He wouldn't believe her and would have just assumed she had gotten a really crappy fake ID. she was actually ten years old...somewhere.

"Mmhm," the bartender said. "Here's a water." He handed her a glass and poured. "You can get something to eat."

"Um, maybe later," she replied. The bartender then moved on to another customer on the other far side of the bar. Embarrassed, the girl put her ID away without saying anything.

"How does a time travelled not have a stash of fake ID on them?" The man asked. He wasn't going to say anything else to her until he snuck a peak at her ID.

He noticed the 2016 expiry date at the bottom that the bartender obviously hadn't. It was as real as anything. Shiny and new. Well shit, so this girl truly was a time traveller, he thought.

She looked up at him, slightly taken aback. She didn't know he was still chatting with her. She was surprised that he actually sounded like he believed her.

"Um, well I don't usually drink in bars."

"Yeah, well it makes sense doesn't it?" He asked casually. He turned to face the her then, seeming genuinely interested. The girl noticed. She finally had his full attention.

"Yeah, I guess. Never thought of that." She told him. "Never needed it. I don't usually get involved in anything. I just stay in the background. Observe people, places. That kinda thing...Visit my mom back in Spain," she mumbled low so he couldn't hear. But he did hear.

The girl then turned away from him, but stopped midway. To her right, a man with a buzz-cut was standing way too close beside her. Even though she had claimed it as her age, she did NOT look sixteen.

The girl kept her eyes in front, but that didn't stop the man from staring. He was leaning against the bar as he looked down at her hungrily. She uncomfortably brought her eyes back to the bearded man on her left.

The man who was invading her space suddenly brought his eyes to the bearded man beside the girl and chose to address him like she wasn't even there.

"She with you?" He asked.

"Yeah she is," The bearded man said without even giving the man a single glance. He kept his eyes on the girl. His voice was commanding enough, that he didn't need to. The other man just walked away, sounding pissed.

The girl was about to offer a smile or a "thank you", but the bearded man now kept looking at his watch like he was getting ready to leave. The girl didn't want him to leave.

"Wanna smoke? " She asked him, hoping to spark his interest. She couldn't drink in the bar and no one else was paying her any mind except the occasional gawking.

The man didn't say anything for a moment as the girl watched him hesitantly.

He didn't really want to get up, but eventually he gave in. He could use a smoke. "Sure." He said.

* * *

 **A/N:** I had an idea I had to write down. The story will probably go through a lot of changes and edits.

The prologues will be the only parts in 3rd person. Then it goes to 1st - and yes, I will eventually refer to my characters by name.

Let me know what you think so far if you can. I need constructive criticism.


End file.
